Wednesday, July 27, 2016

Book Tour, Interview, & Giveaway: "Caught in the Ripples"

Description

When the
Exlathars escaped the battle that night, their silhouetted figures merged with
the sky, their wings swatted at stars and the Coltis people were too busy
celebrating their victory to realise that there wasn’t one.

Now the
Exlathars are back. And they bring with them remnants of everybody’s past.

Back in
England, Dezaray discovers just how deep Coldivor’s connection to Earth really
goes. But she cannot change their past and she cannot see how to alter their
future. So it seems the ripples that shake the surface are only a glimpse of
what’s brewing beneath.

'Caught in the
Ripples' delves deeper into the Water Rushes saga, answers questions the first
book raised and plunges you into an ocean of intrigue and magic.

They thought
the Elenfar was the end…turns out it was only the beginning.

About the Author

S. McPherson is a young British expat living in Dubai and working
as a kindergarten teacher. When she is not at work immersed in a world of
imagination and fantasy created by the children, she is immersed in her own
worlds of imagination and fantasy at home, dreaming up tales and writing them
down. 'At Water’s Edge' is S. McPherson’s debut novel and the first in the
romantic, fantasy series, 'The Water Rushes'.

Author Interview

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

I’d
be happy to. I am a British expat living in Dubai and working as a kindergarten
teacher. When I was seven I dreamed of being a script writer and that love
still lingers somewhere. Around the age of nine, I moved on to – let’s say
“songs” and comic strips. By fourteen I wrote my first full-length screenplay
which I adapted to a novel and not long ago, inspired by my love of teaching
and writing, I self-published a children’s story called ‘Shania Streep wanted
to Sleep’ which sold quite well locally. After that, I decided fear was not an
option and dove whole-heartedly into the writing and production of ‘At Water’s
Edge’. I feel like I should also mention that I can never decide on a favourite
colour, though I tend to lean towards blue. I also wanted to be a choreographer
once and I often dream about a giant breaking into my house and telling me I’m
a wizard. To learn more check out my page www.smcphersonbooks.com

Hobbies, pets, fun facts? Tea or coffee?

My hobbies
are writing, dancing around like a mad woman especially when cleaning the
apartment, singing and more writing. I definitely choose tea over coffee
although I generally opt for hot water with honey and lemon. I had a cat who
was quite possibly my closest friend for fourteen years and I dedicated the
first book in my series, ‘At Water’s Edge’ to her memory.

What was your favorite chapter (or part) to
write and why?

In
‘Caught in the Ripples’, my favourite parts to write were the battle scenes and
when Dezaray ends up in a situation that she doesn’t count on.

Is anything in your book based on real life
experiences or is it purely all imagination?

Ninety-nine
percent of ‘At Water’s Edge’ and ‘Caught in the Ripples’ are purely from my
kooky imagination, but I’ve taken a few names of close friends and a few
snippets of dialogue from those around me.

What inspired you to write this book?

I have always wanted to be a writer. My first
memory of knowing for sure, was when I was seven years old and for English I
wrote a poem for my mum for Mother’s Day which made my teacher cry. Her
reaction really surprised me and I remember heading back to my seat thinking
‘wow, words have power’. From then, I kept writing, evolving from poems to
songs (because obviously I was going to be the next Beyoncé) to scripts and
finally to books. Then one day, whilst watching T.V. the first scene of ‘At
Water’s Edge’ popped into my head and I wrote it down. The idea must have
simmered in the back of my mind for a while because a few years later, I
revisited the scene and the story just poured out of me.

Is there a particular author or book that
influenced you in any way either as a child or an adult?

When I was
younger, I think my favourite authors were Roald Dahl and Enid Blyton. I absolutely loved everything by Roald Dahl.
‘The Witches’, ‘Matilda’ and ‘BFG’, the list is endless. I also really enjoyed
‘The Magic Faraway Tree’ by Enid Blyton. I think those sorts of stories of
wonder where impossibilities were made possible, really helped influence my
love of fantasy.

Do you have any advice to give to aspiring
writers?

I would say
I have three top tips for aspiring writers. Those are to:

·Get a good idea-
Though some experienced writers may be able to write a fascinating piece on
watching paint dry, for those of us trying to break into the market, I’d say
find something that inspires you (unless of course that is watching paint dry)
and build on it. Throw in a mixture of characters, a series of events and one
main issue to be resolved.

·Write and rewrite within an inch of your life. Rewrite until you’re pulling your hair out and are tempted to
throw your laptop out the window.

·Never give up- sounds cliché but is so
true it’s almost unreal. You’ll never get anywhere if you allow distractions or
bumps in the road to steer you off track. Stay focussed on what you are aiming
for and keep going until you get there.

Is there anything you would like to say to
your fans or readers?

Thank you so much for taking to read this
interview. I hope you enjoy reading The Water Rushes saga as much as I have
enjoyed writing it. I truly love interacting with fellow dreamers and
make-believers so please don’t hesitate to get in touch. I can be found at the
following: